MBS Is First to Develop Two LEED Neighborhoods

McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS) is the first developer to receive two U.S. Green Building Council LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Certifications for completed neighborhoods. The first, Renaissance Place in St. Louis, was certified in 2010. The second certification is University Place, in Memphis, Tennessee. Both communities are urban, mixed-income, affordable developments built under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOPE VI program. These LEED-ND certifications are the latest demonstration of McCormack Baron Salazar's commitment to being the nation's leading for-profit developer of green, mixed-income, urban communities.

The LEED-ND Rating System integrates principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national certification system that provides independent, third-party verification that a development's location and design meet accepted high levels of environmentally responsible, sustainable development. LEED-ND is collaboration between USGBC, Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

"McCormack Baron Salazar has shown tremendous leadership through its commitment to building greener, healthier communities," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council.

"We are very proud of this distinction, "said Vince Bennett, COO of MBS. "Since inception, the company has worked to make sustainability a core goal of our redevelopment projects. We have always incorporated traditional neighborhood design and energy efficiency into our communities. With the LEED-ND program as a guide, we are able to exceed our previous efforts and expand this goal to create environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable places."

McCormack Baron Salazar recently completed the development of one of only six LEED Platinum Certified Schools in the world (Crossroads School, St. Louis, MO) and the company is currently constructing three sustainably-built developments co-sponsored by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development competitive capital fund grants to be located in St. Louis, Miami, and the Legends Park neighborhood of Memphis.

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